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Eric Diep is enjoying the era of Lil Yachty and Don Toliver ayahuasca retreat albums.
In the world of pro wrestling, you have gimmicks and alter-egos. If the rap game is the squared circle, Bay City rapper That Mexican OT (Outta Texas) introducing the Lonestar Luchador as his latest persona has made him a babyface whose likeability is infectious. While hip-hop has used alter-egos to workshop other characters like Nicki Minaj’s Roman Zolanski or MF DOOM’s Viktor Vaughn, That Mexican OT is revealing to fans that the Lonestar Luchador is not actually a rapper. “He’s definitely a warrior. He’s somebody that helps you get through something,” he tells me.
Fans were introduced to the Lonestar Luchador in an album teaser on July 19, joining the lineage of luchadors like Rey Mysterio and Psicosis who have been immortalized in Mexican wrestling. That Mexican OT transforms himself by donning a blue cape with sparkling letters and wearing a mask made from the Texas flag. When he flashes a smile, his platinum grill shines.
The Lonestar Luchador’s origin story is kept a mystery throughout That Mexican OT’s latest album of the same name, released on July 27. The wrestling concept comes into play through skits led by rapper and comedian Ralph Barbosa Jr. They parody an announcer’s table—That Mexican OT introduces himself as “OT Super Mex,” Barbosa is calling himself “Ralph à la Pimp Hand”—and they proceed to call a tag team match that gets more absurd as they mention their storyline: the obscene wrestler names, their moves, and a surprise interference by Los Federales.
Since 2020, That Mexican OT has been bubbling in the Texas underground as just “OT,” releasing songs like “La Muerte,” which represented his Spanish heritage. “OT” is short for “OTV” (On the Verge), explaining on No Jumper he came up with his new name and catchphrase “Ayo, is that That Mexican OT?” because he was being silly and high as f*ck on “Plan C” and it just stuck. He continued to devour beats with a chip on his shoulder heard on “Texas Meskin” and Peso Peso’s “Hardest Ese Ever.” Early comparisons to DaBaby and Kevin Gates landed because of OT’s weathered rasp and quick delivery. But it’s the way he rolls his tongue and chews up language, differentiating himself to the point that it’s become a delight to hear what words he’s OT-ified when he flows.
The Bay City All-Star comes from a hometown that’s over an hour away from Houston, so it’s inevitable that his sound draws from the foundational base of chopped and screwed, trap, and melodic rap that has seeped into other cities, fusing it with the state’s other natural connection with country. His breakout single, “Johnny Dang,” an homage to slab culture and H-Town slowing it down, features DRODi and Paul Wall. It’s easily the best song out of Texas with a mouthful of bars from all involved. He went viral on TikTok for his From the Block performance of “Johnny Dang,” performing the anthem live at a ranch while holding a chicken. The views went so well that they ran it back for “Cowboy Killer” and shot another video live from the same ranch, but this time he’s singing in a country twang about being an outlaw from Dirty Bay. He is 100 percent Tejano, showing off how his people get down in South Texas.
On this day in August, That Mexican OT is calling in from New York and in-between meetings. Not only is he easygoing and polite, but he answers anything you throw at him. He apologizes when people interrupt our conversation, and again later when his team downstairs asks him what he wants to eat from Subway. “I get the chicken bacon ranch and the Italian herbs and cheese bread. Extra crispy,” he says.
Our conversation veers from getting a grill from Johnny Dang and coming up with the Lonestar Luchador character to getting into Big L and 50 Cent. He apparently saw his favorite rapper perform on the Final Lap tour in Brooklyn, so he gave a quick review about that too. This is the Cowboy in New York, cooling out and having fun.
Since 2020, That Mexican OT has been bubbling in the Texas underground as just “OT,” releasing songs like “La Muerte,” which represented his Spanish heritage. “OT” is short for “OTV” (On the Verge), explaining on No Jumper he came up with his new name and catchphrase “Ayo, is that That Mexican OT?” because he was being silly and high as f*ck on “Plan C” and it just stuck. He continued to devour beats with a chip on his shoulder heard on “Texas Meskin” and Peso Peso’s “Hardest Ese Ever.” Early comparisons to DaBaby and Kevin Gates landed because of OT’s weathered rasp and quick delivery. But it’s the way he rolls his tongue and chews up language, differentiating himself to the point that it’s become a delight to hear what words he’s OT-ified when he flows.
The Bay City All-Star comes from a hometown that’s over an hour away from Houston, so it’s inevitable that his sound draws from the foundational base of chopped and screwed, trap, and melodic rap that has seeped into other cities, fusing it with the state’s other natural connection with country. His breakout single, “Johnny Dang,” an homage to slab culture and H-Town slowing it down, features DRODi and Paul Wall. It’s easily the best song out of Texas with a mouthful of bars from all involved. He went viral on TikTok for his From the Block performance of “Johnny Dang,” performing the anthem live at a ranch while holding a chicken. The views went so well that they ran it back for “Cowboy Killer” and shot another video live from the same ranch, but this time he’s singing in a country twang about being an outlaw from Dirty Bay. He is 100 percent Tejano, showing off how his people get down in South Texas.
On this day in August, That Mexican OT is calling in from New York and in-between meetings. Not only is he easygoing and polite, but he answers anything you throw at him. He apologizes when people interrupt our conversation, and again later when his team downstairs asks him what he wants to eat from Subway. “I get the chicken bacon ranch and the Italian herbs and cheese bread. Extra crispy,” he says.
Our conversation veers from getting a grill from Johnny Dang and coming up with the Lonestar Luchador character to getting into Big L and 50 Cent. He apparently saw his favorite rapper perform on the Final Lap tour in Brooklyn, so he gave a quick review about that too. This is the Cowboy in New York, cooling out and having fun.
Since 2020, That Mexican OT has been bubbling in the Texas underground as just “OT,” releasing songs like “La Muerte,” which represented his Spanish heritage. “OT” is short for “OTV” (On the Verge), explaining on No Jumper he came up with his new name and catchphrase “Ayo, is that That Mexican OT?” because he was being silly and high as f*ck on “Plan C” and it just stuck. He continued to devour beats with a chip on his shoulder heard on “Texas Meskin” and Peso Peso’s “Hardest Ese Ever.” Early comparisons to DaBaby and Kevin Gates landed because of OT’s weathered rasp and quick delivery. But it’s the way he rolls his tongue and chews up language, differentiating himself to the point that it’s become a delight to hear what words he’s OT-ified when he flows.
The Bay City All-Star comes from a hometown that’s over an hour away from Houston, so it’s inevitable that his sound draws from the foundational base of chopped and screwed, trap, and melodic rap that has seeped into other cities, fusing it with the state’s other natural connection with country. His breakout single, “Johnny Dang,” an homage to slab culture and H-Town slowing it down, features DRODi and Paul Wall. It’s easily the best song out of Texas with a mouthful of bars from all involved. He went viral on TikTok for his From the Block performance of “Johnny Dang,” performing the anthem live at a ranch while holding a chicken. The views went so well that they ran it back for “Cowboy Killer” and shot another video live from the same ranch, but this time he’s singing in a country twang about being an outlaw from Dirty Bay. He is 100 percent Tejano, showing off how his people get down in South Texas.
On this day in August, That Mexican OT is calling in from New York and in-between meetings. Not only is he easygoing and polite, but he answers anything you throw at him. He apologizes when people interrupt our conversation, and again later when his team downstairs asks him what he wants to eat from Subway. “I get the chicken bacon ranch and the Italian herbs and cheese bread. Extra crispy,” he says.
Our conversation veers from getting a grill from Johnny Dang and coming up with the Lonestar Luchador character to getting into Big L and 50 Cent. He apparently saw his favorite rapper perform on the Final Lap tour in Brooklyn, so he gave a quick review about that too. This is the Cowboy in New York, cooling out and having fun.
​​(This interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.)